One new position and a disbarment
by 0LucieOtter0
Summary: This OS takes place between the Trials and Tribulations and the Apollo Justice's era. Miles Edgeworth waits for his lover to come home before travelling to Europe for a new position, but doesn't know said lover just spent the hardest day of his career.


The apartment was empty and dreary as Edgeworth sat, waiting. It was almost one in the morning and he had to leave the United States the day after. This night was actually his first free night in months, his luggage done and stacked up waiting in Phoenix's hallway, and he was hoping to spend it with his loved one. For that to happen, he already had to rush his last case and had asked a new position in Europe that he obtained without much difficulty. Phoenix usually didn't come home that late, and the annoyance at his partner is what kept Miles from worrying, even after several missed calls. What kind of case kept a man outside past midnight?

Footsteps. Miles felt a tinge of relief, as they approached from outside the apartment, the corridor echoing the sound... He paced the living room when the clatter of the keys, resonated in the empty apartment. Miles turned to the noise. He heard some swearing on the other side of the door and stiffened. He had never heard Phoenix swear and wished it would not begin right now. Realizing Phoenix hadn't unlocked the door all the way, he sighed and reached for the knob to open the door himself. An unrecognizable Phoenix, with messy hair and an unbuttoned shirt, made a pitiful entrance in the room, tripping and regaining his balance by falling back on the carefully piled suitcases in the hallway. Miles crossed his arms, already resigned.

"What a pleasure to finally be greeted by your presence Wright."

"Oh come on Miles… Just let me…" Phoenix stumbled, losing his balance. He grasped the door knob, leaning against the door for support. "Let me sit down for a sec."

This behavior was odd, even for him, Miles thought to himself. Still, he did as he asked, going and grabbing a table from the back room, bringing it to the door. He kept a cautious distance from Phoenix.

"There, sit."

Phoenix mumbled unintelligible words and sat with great difficulty.

__Is he drunk..?__

Miles stayed standing in the hallway, with nervously crossed arms, and a frown on his face.

"What have you done Wright?"

Phoenix hunched over himself in his seat, his expression pausing for a bit. He didn't look at Edgeworth, focused on his shoes. It almost seemed like he didn't hear him, until he waved a hand through the air, a biting laugh escaping him.

"Oh, so now we're back to a last name basis, Edgeworth?" He giggled. "I've done nothing at all… That's the problem actually!"

Phoenix burst into laughter and almost fell off his chair. Miles didn't know what to do. He was used dealing with a playful and disorganized lover, but never with a drunk and shabby one.

"Phoenix. What happened? I thought you were supposed to meet me back right after the trial, I'm leaving tom…"

"The trial? What trial? There ain't no trial no more."

His tone had suddenly turned gloomy, which was even scarier than his previous frenzy state of mind.

"What do you mean, no more trials? You must have drank far too much! You were supposed to go to Zak Gramarye's trial tod-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know! I lost."

A long silence filled the room.

"How is that… Well… I know you're a great lawyer but it's not your first lost case, I've been through more than you without ever drowning in alcohol as a result. These are our last moments together and I was hoping you'd come home early to be completely honest…"

"You don't get it Miles. I've lost everything…" Phoenix was soon reduced to tears and hid his red face between his palms.

__What?__

Frightened all of the sudden, Edgeworth knelt down in front of Wright. His lover was huddled on his chair, shivering and spasming uncontrollably. All of this was well-known of Miles, who had been suffering almost daily panic attacks since his childhood, but he had never seen Phoenix go through one. He had always hoped he would never have to see it happen.

"Phoenix. Phoenix, please talk to me. I… I don't understand what's going on but you can tell me how to help you."

"You can't do anything, not anymore…" Phoenix sniffled through tears. "I… I've lost my attorney's badge Miles, it's over, all over…"

The prosecutor's heart skipped a beat. The world could have fallen apart, and it felt just like it did, as Miles felt the ground collapse right under his feet.

"Your defense attorney's badge?"

"Which else?" Phoenix smiled bitterly.

"It has to be a mistake, I can try to fix this, you know they'll listen to m-"

"Yeah it's a gigantic mistake, but it's my gigantic mistake Miles. I…" He held back a cry. "I've used a falsified evidence in court, it's my fault, I should have known, I should have thought this through…"

"Phoenix, calm down please, I don't get it anymore. What proof?"

"Some document in the Gramarye's case… It's over, I've lost everything…"

Miles held his lover, unable to process all of this information. He stayed mute for a while, just letting Phoenix cry over his shoulder. This situation was brand new and Miles didn't enjoy it in the slightest. He wished he could be at work, or even already gone, anything to run away from Wrights' alcoholic breath and cries in his neck. He thought about his options. In the long run, he could probably go against the end of Phoenix's career to some powerful authority, but, he thought right after, the rumors about him wouldn't help. He, who had so often used falsified proof, though unwittingly, never had to turn back his prosecutor's badge. Yet he had felt so guilty of his past mistakes that he had run away both from Phoenix and the courtrooms. He had since hoped to forget, to never have to face them again, but he had stayed ready to do so. Never had it crossed his mind though, that the one who would have to face such a sanction would be his lover and rival, the one who had fought him so many times and convinced him that the law could be fair, the proofs suffice themselves. And this man was now guilty of everything he had always reproached to Miles? It didn't make sense. The more Miles was trying to wrap his mind around it, the more confused he was. He took a look at the suit facing him and felt his heart crush at the sight of an empty-defense attorney badge's col. Never would he have thought that this emblem could play such a significant role in his prosecutor's life.

Uneasy, he held his partner tighter, hoping the contact would bring Phoenix back to reason, that he would stand up and mock Miles' worried face with his usual grin. Instead, Phoenix grabbed the back of Miles' shirt and teared up loudly.

"Miles, I'm begging you, don't leave… I can't do this on my own, I can't be on my own..."

__Anything but that…__

"Wright…" said Miles firmly, though with a shaky voice. "Everything will be fine. Maya will still be here, and you can contact me on the phone or via emails whenever you'll like."

Phoenix giggled at the "mail" part, as if Miles had evoked a fax.

"On the phone or with messages. Miles corrected. And you'll just have to use your connections, or mine if you want, to get back to work."

"You're always so… __rational__."

The aggressive tone of this last statement bewildered Miles. It sounded bitter, almost contemptuous.

"Maya won't be here, and neither will you, no matter what you're saying now. You're leaving for… at least several months, and Maya has responsibilities as the new Kurain master. I've got nothing left."

"You have me Phoenix. Even overseas, you know I'll always be there for you."

"Say what you want Edgeworth."

Miles took a step back and gritted his teeth. He sometimes used their last names, but never did Phoenix. It couldn't be a good sign.

"Phoenix."

"Miles."

The same electric tension that was usually separating them in court was now a lot less exhilarating.

"Please… Miles' voice shattered. You know what this journey means to me…"

"Oh, sorry to mess up the genius plans of a genius prosecutor."

"That's not what I-"

"But oh, __please__ Prosecutor Edgeworth, do not let me __impugn__ you with my shame!"

Miles froze, now truly hurt. He had invested so much in this relationship. He had ignored the mockeries and names given by his colleagues, had stood up for his couple's interests, and by doing so, betrayed his work's requested neutrality. He had taken so much risks just this year by playing the role of the defense attorney while Phoenix was at the hospital. He had done everything his professional conscience forbid him, he had overruled his own personal limits and opened himself to the absurd and the unplanned. He had learn to develop friendly, and even romantic relationships, a thing he didn't think he was capable of. He had lost everything he cared about too by condemning his substitution of a father, Manfred Von Karma. Even Franziska turned her back on him for some times. But no matter the severe tests he went through, his trust in Phoenix enabled him to keep going. The feeling to be more than an insensible prosecutor to his eyes, to be loved for Miles, not for Edgeworth.

No matter the situation, no matter his despair, Miles had never treated Phoenix the same way the defense attorney was treating him now. Nightmare on nightmare, panic attack on panic attack, he had always held back his fears and rage. He had tolerated a lot of things but for Phoenix to mock him was beyond everything he could endure. He fought back his feelings and calmly walked to the bedroom.

"What're you doin'..." grumbled Phoenix.

Miles didn't bother to answer, put on his suit's jacket he had let laying on the bed, and went back to the hallway. He knelt to lace his shoes.

"Miles?"

__Please don't…__

He focused on his shoelaces as if they were keeping the key proof of one of his cases.

__Hm… Funny how this lace is twisting on itself. A careless mistake of mine?__

"Miles wait!"

He was done putting his shoes on and put his hand on his suitcase's handle at the same time as Phoenix put his hand on his shoulder.

"Miles, I'm sorry, please don't leave now."

"I can't face those feelings Wright. Not tonight."

"Alright, we can talk about it tomorrow morning, but please stay with me…"

Miles turned back and regretted it instantly. His loved one was on the verge of crying, tears in his eyes, a red nose, and his entire face seemed to ask for one last moment, one last chance.

"I'm begging you Miles, I don't know what to do anymore… he swallowed. I… I need you."

"Phoenix, as things stand, I can't do anything for you. You'll have to call Detective Gumshoe tomorrow when I'll be gone, object to this decision and try to settle it with more competent authorities than me."

Phoenix laughed gently, his cheeks covered in tears.

"You can be such an idiot, you know?"

"Well thanks I gu-"

"I don't need your help to get back my badge… I need to be with you tonight. begged Phoenix as he approached his face from his lover's. I need to prepare my body to never sleep against yours anymore, I need to feel your lips against mines a bit longer… But right now I mostly need you to stare me in the eyes, I need _**_you_**_. Please."

Miles blushed uncontrollably. He couldn't dare to face Phoenix's piercing look, nor the meaning of that drunk euphoric speech. He held the handle tighter, in a vain attempt to regain his composure.

"Listen Ph-"

"I love you."

"What?!"

Miles took a step back and broke contact with Phoenix's hand, which was until then still lying on his shoulder. The prosecutor was now livid and at a complete loss of words.

"We never actually said it, I know, but you knew how I feel about you, right? You didn't think that I had invited you to come live with me just to get some… well, some physical intimacy?" suggested Phoenix, rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed.

__No, fortunately enough,__ thought Miles, remembering with shame the early days of their relationship. He looked down sadly.

"No, well… I… I'm pretty lost. You know I'm leaving the country tomorrow, why wouldn't you tell me about it sooner?"

"Alcohol?" Joked Phoenix before seeing the frown on his partner's face. "Ok, no, I was just kidding! Well actually I… I suppose I was worried about how you'd react."

Miles raised an eyebrow, dubious.

"Oh come on, you can't deny how you act with me! You're always so distant, so hesitating. I became a defense attorney to find you back but I feel like whatever I'll do I'll never be good enough for you. And now was my last shot to tell you, before becoming a dismissed, good-for-nothing attorney who definitely doesn't deserve you. You are so perfect, so much better than everything and everyo-"

It was too much for Miles. He let go of his suitcase, put his hands on Phoenix's wet cheeks and kissed him desperately. Phoenix relaxed and responded to the kiss while gently putting his hands on his lover's back. At the end of a long kiss that seemed to have lasted less than a second, Miles stared at his partner into the eyes.

"I… I'm sorry I'm so cold, I can't control it. You deserve so much better than… me. I just want you to be happy. I…" he paused, surprised by the words he was about to pronounce. "I love you."

Phoenix took Miles' hands into his and kissed him again on the cheeks, the neck, and went all the way back to his ears to whisper:

"Stay for the night…"

"Alright… Miles shuddered. But promise me that tomorrow you'll do everything you can to get your badge back."

Phoenix gave him a mischievous glance and leaned back to his neck.

"Promise."


End file.
